Dutch Shepherd Forum

When we walk to the bus stop each morning, Mobil goes with us (turbo goes when we meet at the bus stop after school).

Kids were dawdling this morning and it was a comedy of errors getting out the door on time; and since I didn't want to risk missing the bus, I let the pups out in the yard since it would have taken too long to crate one and leash the other.

On the way back, they saw the littlest one and I walking back and started happy barking and Chewbacca noises and jumping, jumping, jumping against the fence. When we reached the sidewalk next to our yard, I reached over the fence to pet them, and Mobil got so excited that as I stared in disbelief, he began to climb the fence like a ladder. I called him off and he jumped down, and when we continued walking toward the front door of the house, he began climbing the fence again in his eagerness to be with us.

It's a 4 foot chain link. What do you all have? Are we gonna have to go wood slat privacy fence? We are, aren't we?

I kind of expected it. But hoped against it.

Good thing I love these assholes.

Hi
We have a 4 ft. chained fence as well. I know Dutch could jump it in a heartbeat I've seen him jump over a 5 ft. wall. We play around an obstacle set in valley someone set up and he climbs the monkey bars in the park. I know I should not have taught him but it was fun. He hurdles them then laughs his head off on the other side waiting for me to climb up and fall off on the other side. Anyway he has never done it at home he knows better (I think ok hope). Ok fingers crossed.

My friend's 3 year old Mal didn't know he could jump her 3 foot fence around her apartment to get out. She was always afraid he'd realize he could, then hop out but he never did and we never showed him. H could easily jump my six foot wrought iron fence if he wanted. He hasn't realized he gets real close to the top just normally jumping and I'm not showing him he could jump if he wanted. I think if they know they can do it they will. Now, do they realize they could climb the fence and get out? Or do they think "I climb the fence to get to my family when I see them"? They may not realize they could climb it to go cause ruckus.

You could possibly get away with construction something that angles inwards so if they do climb they hit the top and it's hard to jump up and climb up it. I know some have trouble with privacy slats as the dogs eat the plastic. I've also heard of electric fences for the dogs and tennis netting being used to keep the chains protected and unclimbable. Anyway you look at it you will probably have to figure out something. Smart little buggers, aren't they?

As a side note, when H was little he used to shove his head tween the fence bars and would get his head stuck. Then he somehow figured out he could use that as leverage to get treats from the neighbors as they had to help me free him a few times (they fed him treats while I used olive oil and manhandling to free his head). To this day he still attempts to shove his head through the bars when he sees neighbors. So at least they aren't getting their heads stuck every day.

If you search the net you might find the way they put pvc pipe at the top to keep wild animals out...it is in such a way that it rolls and won't let them get their feet hooked over to make it the rest of the way...might work

Something to look forward to:
DS Jumps over 8ft fence --> http://youtu.be/52TPGBb3Lto

Leela can jump over our 4 foot chain link from a stand still like it's not even there. Radar touches the top when he follows her over.

They don't get free reign of the backyard if I am not there. 6 Foot privacy fence is coming, but I still don't expect to leave them to their own conniving.

centrop67 wrote:Something to look forward to:
DS Jumps over 8ft fence --> http://youtu.be/52TPGBb3Lto

I watched that one just last month.

And the one with the guy who has his DS going up ladders onto the roof, and across, and back down.

Guess I better up the eBay sales for a new fence.
Grumble.

i SECOND EVERYTHING MICHAEL SAID.

Saki and Xander make it look like the fence [ 4 feet ] is not even there. Xander is over in 1 hop from a standing position. for saki when he is WALKING, it is just one more step forward that he does with no change in stride. for both, the 4 feet are SOOOOOOO effortless, that another 2 or 3 feet would be an inconvenience, not an impediment.

for whatever reason, Tracer has yet to go over, but he constantly uses his head as a battering ram to go under the fence or simply rip apart parts of it. i patrol the perimeter every couple weeks - tearing and kicking at parts of the fence to find vulnerable sections and secure them; Tracer's brute force always seems to win out IF he decides to make it so. [ note: Tracer's jumping skills easily exceed Xander's and may exceed Saki's, though Saki would apply brute force to going up and over if he needed to.]

not just with these 3, i have always assumed every DS i have ever had would not be confined by this fence or any other [ unless also dug sufficiently deep into the ground ] when i am gone. like Michael, if i leave in the car, they go inside with more than screen doors and windows to hold them [ i do not use crates]. the temptation to go hunting for their person is just too great.

when home, each occasionally gets beyond the fence, but it is always in reaction to an immediate stimulus, like someone they know and love passing by and being a foot away is just too far. they do not wander. but they certainly would if i went missing.

as they get a little older [ tomorrow, next week? ], i think you have to depend on more than any normal fencing to keep them in if you are away and they think they have a chance of finding you.

Well, DS took the dogs out this morning for a romp before school, and while he was grabbing their ball, Mobil just took off over the fence.

Fortunatel he ran around the house and stood barking outside the gate, so he came right back in, but I guess he'll just have to be on the training lead when we are out until we can get new fencing.

I'm thinking what we have near the garden gate will do it.



It's six feet with the lattice. I can see we will have to make the gate taller, though.

oh yeah, that gate is nothing for them to clear LOL

These guys can scale a 10' fence or wall...a 4' CHAIN LINK just makes for an easy path for them to get from point A to B.

We installed a 6' vinyl stockade...even so...the boy had to be trained to respect the boundary that would otherwise be inherently accepted from another dog.

We keep a stock pile of "those thingys" that keep the panels together. He busts them--not trying to scale, but if the boy sees a squirrel in the woods and I'm not right there....

We keep the stockade gate secured with a leather belt. The latch is a joke for any smart dog.

We also have secondary fence and gate after the stockade gate for back-up; remnants from the original chain link. And that gate is padlocked--but only because people are stupid.

If you're saying that the fence in the garden photo will keep them in---it has a lot for them to grab onto.